How We Work: Puppeteers Jonny & Will

Over the last two decades, the duo has crafted everything from flying t-shirts for Ikea to a talking penis for a Home Office campaign about consent. We speak to them about why they work best as a double act, and the enduring appeal of crafts like puppet-making

Jonny Sabbagh and Will Harper aren’t your average puppeteers. For a start, they both make and perform their creations themselves – still a rarity in the puppet world. The duo first met while studying at Wimbledon College of Arts in the late 90s, and have made a name for themselves bringing weird and wonderful puppets to life ever since.

As well as working on ads for clients including Ikea, TK Maxx and the Home Office, they have also created a number of their own short films, and are in the midst of developing a children’s TV programme that eschews the typical kids’ show clichés and over-the-top CGI. Here, they tell CR about their enduring love affair with hand-crafting characters, and why puppetry is having a moment.